Canadian Securities Course – CSI (Canada)

Canadian Securities Course

The Canadian Securities Course (CSC) designation is bestowed upon members accepted into the professional—and internationally recognized—association the Canadian Securities Institute (CSI) who, through their accreditation process, maintain the professional standards of the discipline.

Professional Order

The CSI is an organization, with over 750,000 members, that offers a variety of field-specific financial designations in six different fields: business banking; financial planning; investment management & trading; leadership, management & compliance; retail banking; and wealth management. Additionally, they are a subsidiary of the renowned Moody’s Analytics, and recognized by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROB) and are partnered with various educational institutitons such as Dalhousie University and the Foran Financial Institute.

Accessibility

This designation is accessible to people with a background in finances who wish to supplement their current educational background. The certification process is designed in a self-study format, through a textbook or online program, and—according to their website—requires a maximum of 200 hours of study. However, due to the self-study format, people can study at their own pace, but will need to be disciplined enough to study themselves. At the end of the self-study, applicants take two examinations on 19 different financial topics. The study material costs approximately between $1000 and $1300; however, they have a more cost-effective package for investment professionals at approximately $500.

Advantages

This is an advantageous designation to possess due to it covering the basic requirements for financial licenses offered by the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada (IIROC) and The Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada (MFDA). Additionally, it can lead to 7 certifications and 3 designations offered by the CSI such as Personal Financial Planner (PFP), Chartered Investment Manager (CIM), Estate and Trust Professional (MTI). This certification gives people the tools at the beginning to further their professional ambitions and is a good base that leads to other certifications.